5th Edition Player Reference D20 ROLLS Rolls of the 20-sided die determine success or failure. Characters with natural abilities, talents, or magical aids have modifiers which increase the odds of success. Negative modifiers like weakne- sses, difficulties, or curses decrease the chances. Initiative Roll At the beginning of combat, each character rolls a d20 to determine their turn order in the fight. Add DEX. PHB 189 Attack Melee, ranged, and spell attacks rely on a d20 roll. See “Attack” this page for details. Ability Check (Skill Check) The GM may ask a player to roll to determine whether their character can accomplish a task. Add relevant Ability and Proficiency modifiers. PHB 173 Saving Throw (Save) In a dangerous situation, the GM may require the player to roll a d20 to try to avoid damage. Add relevant modifiers. PHB 179 Inspiration Rolling & Modifying The number on the face of the die is the “natural” result to which modifiers are applied. For clarity, report the result as “16 plus 3 is 19” or as “modified 19” so the table knows you’ve included the modifiers. If you roll a natural 1 or 20 during an attack, announce this “critical” miss or hit. PHB 7 Advantage & Disadvantage Circumstances, skills, or the DM’s ruling may grant Advantage or Disadvantage on a d20 roll. In this case, roll two d20 and use the higher or lower result as appropriate. PHB 173 Awarded by the GM, Inspiration allows a player to confer on a d20 roll of their choice, including another player’s. PHB 125 COMBAT ROUNDS Battles and other time-sensitive activities occur in Rounds. A Round represents 6 seconds of game time. During a Round, each combatant gets a Turn to move and act. Each Round’s Turns occur simultaneously in the game world, but are resolved in InitiativeOrder by the players. PHB 189 Surprise Surprised combatants cannot act in the first round of combat. PHB 189 Initiative Combatants roll a d20 DEX check to determine order of turns in a round. Add relevant modifier(s). PHB 189 Round Begins Turns All combatants take their turns in initiative order. PHB 189 Repeat Repeat rounds until victory, defeat, parley or retreat. ATTACK Target Identify your target to the table. Attack Roll a d20. During an Attack roll, 1 always fails, and 20 always succeeds. Modify Add your modifiers. PHB 194 Armor Class If the modified result is ≥ target’s Armor Class (AC) , the attack hits the target. Damage Roll Damage Dice and add modifiers. The target’s HP are reduced, factoring resistances and vulnerabilities. Spell Attack Many spells count as attacks. The caster rolls d20 + Spellcasting Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus to hit vs AC. PHB 205 Ranged Attack Protective Cover ½ Cover Grants +2 to AC and DEX saves ¾ Cover Grants +5 to AC and DEX saves Full Cover Cannot be directly targeted, but might be hit by Area of Effect. PHB 196 Improvised Weapons Do 1d4 damage, range 20/60. If an improvised weapon resembles an actual weapon, the GM may rule it can be treated as such, including bonuses. E.g., Longbow Range 150/600: PHB 195 ➛ 0-150 ft Roll as normal. ➛ 151-600 ft roll with . ➛ 601 ft + Beyond reach of longbow. (If a foe is within 5 ft, roll with ) DAMAGE & HEALING Hit Points The relative threat of imminent death or incapacity to a creature. PHB 196 At zero HP a character is unconscious. PHB 197 Hit Dice represent toughness and daily ability to recover from harm. When you take a Short Rest, you can spend Hit Dice to recover hit points. PHB 12 Armor Class indicates how difficult a creature is to hit due to armor, dodging and parrying skills, and other factors. Higher numbers are better. PHB 145 Damage Rolls determine how much damage an attack inflicts. More-deadly attacks use more or larger dice. Critical hits (20s) roll double dice. PHB 196 Healing is the recovery of Hit Points accomplished through rest, spells, or potions. PHB 197 Short Rest is an hour rest during which characters can heal by applying remaining Hit Dice.PHB 186 Long Rest Once per day, 8-hour rest when the character heals: all Hit Points restored, and ½ max number of Hit Dice are restored (minimum 1).PHB 186 Instant Death If a hit reduces a PC below 0 HP to -1 × max hit points, they suffer instant death. PHB 197 Death Saving Throw When a character starts a turn with 0 HP, they make an unmodified saving throw of DC 10. 3 fails before 3 successes is fatal, 3 successes renders them Stable at 0 HP. PHB 197 Temporary Hit Points are conferred by some abilities and magic, and are always lost first. PHB 198 Knockout When reducing a creature to 0 HP, a melee attacker may elect to render it Unconscious rather than kill it. PHB 198 ACTIONS IN COMBAT Move your Speed, in 1 or more segments 1 Action from the list below 1 minor free action: e.g., speak, open a door PHB 199 1 Bonus Action, if available to you 1 Reaction, triggered on another’s turn Move a distance up to your Speed. PHB 181 + In addition to moving, perform one of the following Actions: Attack one or more times depending on your abilities. (Melee, ranged, or spell attack) PHB 192 Cast Spell with casting time of 1 round.PHB 192 Dash your modified Speed to double your total distance moved. PHB 192 Disarm (uses Attack) Disengage from melee without inviting an Attack of Opportunity. PHB 192 Dodge First Aid Stabilize a 0 HP creature. PHB 197 Grapple (uses Attack) Seize a creature. Roll Athletics vs. target’s AorA*. To Escape: win AorA* contest vs. grappler’s Athletics. PHB 195 Help Hide by making a Stealth check. PHB 177 Ready a specific action to execute when you perceive a stated ‘trigger.’ PHB 193 Search for an item. May require a Percept- ion or Investigation check. PHB 193 Shove (uses Attack) Athletics vs. AorA* to push creature 5 ft away or knock Prone. PHB 195 Use an item for some purpose. This may require a roll. PHB 193 Optional Move Rules Climb Bigger Creature, Disarm, Mark, Overrun, Shove Aside, Tumble DMG 271 *AorA Roller’s choice: Athletics or Acrobatics. + In addition to your Action, you may: Move additional distance, if you have remaining Speed. PHB 181 Bonus Action Take one if available. PHB 189 Reaction Taken instantly, even out of turn. Triggered by an event. PHB 190 Two-Weapon Fighting With a light melee weapon in each hand, use Bonus Action to attack with 2nd weapon. No ability mod bonus to 2nd weapon damage. PHB 195 an ally with an action or attack, granting them on a roll. PHB 192 roll attack vs. AorA*. if target h a s 2 - h a n d g r i p . L a r g e r combatant size gets . DMG 271 attacks for the turn. Attackers roll at . Also gain to any DEX rolls for the turn. PHB 192 Version 1.10 cryptocartographer.net PHB 203 Some spells require Concentration to maintain effect. If the caster takes Damage during concentration, they must make a Saving Throw (DC 10 or half the damage, whichever is higher) in order to maintain the spell. Acid Corrosive compounds. Bludgeoning Blunt force. Cold Ice or magical chill. Fire Intense heat. Force Magical wallop. Lightning Electrical shock. Necrotic Withering curse. Piercing Puncture wounds. Poison Toxins and venom. Psychic Mental anguish. Radiant Divine light. Slashing Cutting wounds. Thunder Concussive impact. Immunity: No damage Resistance: ½ damage Vulnerability: 2 × damage PHB 197 DAMAGE TYPES D&D, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast. CONCENTRATION
5th Edition Player Reference GLOSSARY Ability Check (also Skill Check) d20 roll to attempt a challenging action. AC Armor Class Advantage Area of Effect The volume targeted by a spell. Critical (Crit) Fail (1) or Hit (20) on an attack roll d20 Roll of a die. 2d8 means, “the total from rolling two 8-sided dice.” Damage Reduction in Hit Points. DC Difficulty Class. The number a d20 roll must meet for success at a given challenge. Disadvantage DM/GM Dungeon Master/Game Master DMG Dungeon Master’s Guide Healing Restoring Hit Points. HP Hit Points: remaining toughness Initiative Order The order in which characters’ turns are taken during a round. Initiative Roll A d20+DEX roll to determine the order of combat. Melee Attack Striking an enemy within reach, usually 5 feet. MM Monster Manual Modifier Added to d20 rolls to account for abilities, proficiencies, or penalties. NPC Non-Player Character PC Player Character PHB Player’s Handbook Proficiency Additional bonus to a weapon or skill from experience or training. Ranged Attack Striking an enemy at a distance with a weapon or spell. Round 6 seconds of game time. Consists of a Turn for all combatants. Saving Throw d20 roll to avoid unforeseen harm or certain magical attacks. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Ability modifiers. May be added to d20 rolls for Ability Checks. Speed Walking speed. The distance in feet a creature moves in a Turn. Spell Attack Using magic to deal damage to an enemy adjacent or at range. Turn A creature’s opportunity to move and act during a Round. Take lower number of 2d20 Take higher number of 2d20 MONEY & EXPENSES Coins Lifestyle Cost/Day copper silver gold platinum 0.01 gp 00.1 gp 1 gp 10 gp Wretched Squalid Poor Modest Comfortable Wealthy Aristocratic — 1 sp 2 sp 1 gp 2 gp 4 gp 10 gp + A character needs 1 lb of food and 1 gallon of water per day, or they will begin to suffer Exhaustion. PHB 185 CONDITIONS Spells, traps, and monster attacks may effect creatures beyond mere damage. These ongoing effects are called Conditions. PHB 290 Deafened Unable to hear, the creature fails any hearing check. Grappled Creature’s speed becomes 0 until condition ends. PHB 195 Incapacitated Creature cannot act or react. Other Conditions Suffocation A creature can hold its breath for 1+CON minutes (30 sec min). Once out of breath, it survives for 1+CON rounds before it drops to 0 HP. Poisoned The creature has on attack and ability rolls. Stunned The creature is Incapacitated, can’t move, and speech is faltering. Fails all STR and DEX rolls. Attacks on it have . Petrified The creature’s weight increases 10X. Creature is Incapacitated. Automatically fails STR and DEX rolls. Attacks against creature have . Creature has resistance to all damage. Aging, poison and disease are suspended. Restrained The creature’s speed is 0. Its attacks have and attacks against it have . Paralyzed Creature is Incapacitated. It cannot move or speak. Fails all STR and DEX rolls. Attacks against creature have . Attackers within 5 feet who hit automatically land a critical hit. Frightened The creature has on ability and attack rolls while source is visible, and won't willingly move closer. Exhaustion has six levels with cumulative effects: 1 on all Ability Checks 2 Speed reduced to half 3 on Saving Throws and Attack rolls 4 Hit point maximum halved 5 Speed reduced to 0 6 Death More on Exhaustion:PHB 185 Blinded Creature cannot see. Attacks against gain and the creature’s own attacks have . Prone The creature must crawl to move at 2 feet per foot or use ½ of Speed to stand. Creature has on attack rolls. Attackers within 5 feet have , others have . Charmed Creature cannot harm the charmer. The charmer has on any interaction with the creature. Unconscious The creature is Incapacitated, drops what it’s holding and falls prone. Fails all STR and DEX rolls. Attacks on it have . Attackers within 5 feet who hit get a critical hit. Invisible The creature cannot be seen without magical senses. The creature’s attacks have and attacks against have . SPELL COMPONENTS (V) Verbal Caster must be able to speak. (S) Somatic Caster must be able to move a hand. (M) Material PHB 203 Caster must possess materials, or can use Focus if components are 0gp and not consumed in casting. ABILITY SCORES These numbers represent your base abilities. 10 is “average.” They are seldom used directly. Instead, they determine Modifiers (+ or -) you apply to your rolls. The abbreviations refer to these Modifiers.PHB 173 STR Strength Ability to apply force to your environment. Muscle. DEX Dexterity Gross and fine motor skills. Agility. CON Constitution Ability to overcome harm & debility. Stamina. INT Intelligence Ability to recall and analyze information. Intellect. WIS Wisdom A w a r e n e s s o f y o u r surroundings. Insight. CHA Charisma Influence over others and your own state of mind. Authority. MOVEMENT&STRENGTH Speed You can walk your Speed in feet per turn, or Dash to move 2×Speed (uses action). Jump, Long Running: Strength feet Standing: Strength feet ÷2 Jump, High STR mod+3 feet with a 10 foot run up; half that flatfooted Jump calculator:bit.ly/5e-jump Reach 1.5 × Height Carry Strength× 15 pounds Push/Drag/Lift Strength× 30 pounds Movement Hazards Opportunity Attack PHB 195 Creatures may move freely past allies, but moving past or away from an enemy may trigger an Opportunity Attack. Falling PHB 183 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen, max 20d6. Difficult Terrain PHB 190 Requires one extra foot of movement per foot moved. Squeezing PHB 192 Move through spaces for one size lower. Costs one extra foot per foot moved. D&D, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast. Version 1.10 cryptocartographer.net LIGHT&VISION Bright See normally Lightly Obscured Heavily Obscured Darkness of night or heavy fog. Creatures are effectively Blinded. Darkvision See in Darkness as Dim Light (grays). Truesight Reveals mundane & magical darkness, illusions, invisibility, & Ethereal Plane. Blindsight Sense surroundings without vision. Tremorsense Sense origins of surface vibrations. More on Light at PHB 183 Dim light or light fog. Sight checks have . Attacks against an unseen target are made at . Attacking a target who can’t see you grants .